Air-regulator for furnaces.



A. COTTON. m mummy. r02 rmwss. APPLIOATIOI FILED 10V- 4, 1501. 899,102.Patented Sept. 22,1903. I a sums-sum 1.

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a ATTORNEYS A. COTTON.

LIB REGULATOR FOB. FURNACES.

APPLIOLTIOI mum 10v. 4. m1.

Patented Sept. 22,1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

- wlryess D mv uron 22% By Q Q nronmzr i l 1 l ALFRED (JOTTON,OF NEWARK,NEW JERSEY.

AIR-REGULATOR FOR FURNACES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 22, 1908.

Application filed November &, 1907. Serial No. 400,479.

T 0 (171 whom it may concern:

Be it known that. I, Amnnn (forum, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful improvements inAir-Regulators for Funaces, of which the following is a specification,reference-being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a front elevation of a furnace provided with my invention, aportion of the furnace being broken awe y to show the steam reservoirwithin the furnace; Fig. 2 a detail view of the firc door showing thevalve and nozzle for supplying air to the door; Fig. 2 a diagrammatlcview of the pipes and valves shown in Fig. '1, illustrating the relativepositions of the controlling valves; Fig. 3 afront elevation of afurnace showing a slightly different arrangement of the apparatus, aportion of the furnace being broken away to show the steam reservoirtherein; and Fig. 4 a. front elevation showing another arrangement ofthe invention.

This invention relates to apparatus for controlling the admission of airto furnaces for burning the gases arising from the primary combustion onthe grates. It is adapted for use with all kinds of solid fuel. but moreparticularly with bituminous coal and other smoky fuels, to reduce or doaway with the emission of smoke.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus which will supplya large amount of air over the fire for a redetermined time, said chargeof air gradiially diminishing to the minimum supply or entirely ceasingat the end of the fixed interval, this interval of time being governedby the length of time the fire door is open during the chargingoperation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which willautomatically govern the amount of air su plied to the fire box aftereach charging of iiiel, the fireman or stoker being thus relieved of allresponsibilitv as to the amount of air thus supplied.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, i designates the boiler, 2the main steam pipe which conveys steam to the main ash pit blower 3.The fire door 4 is provided with a vertical blower 5 similar to theblower shown in my pending application for patent Serial No. r 307,982,filed March 26, 1906 through which air may be supplied over the grate,as described in my said application. A steam reservoir 6 is connected atone end to the main steam pipe by a pipe 7. The other end of thisreservoir is connected by a pipe 8 to the jet nozzle 9. As arranged inthe drawing this nozzle 9 is adapted to de liver air into the upper openend of the blower 5. be extended to any point where it may be desired todeliver the air. it being arranged as shown in the drawings merely forconvenience.

In the pipe 7 is arranged a val e 10, on the stem of which is secured aweighted lever 11 normally holding the valve open. One end of this leveris connected by a chain 12 to the fire door in such manner that whensaid door is closed the valve will be moved to its closed position, andwhen said door is open the valve will be opened by the weighted lever.It will thus be seen when the fire door is closed communication betweenthe reservoir 6 and the pipe 2 will be'closed.

In the pipe Sis arranged a valve 13 whose valve. stem 14 is adapted tobe engaged by an arm 15 carried by the fire door. On this arm isarranged an adjustable contact pin 16 which may be adjusted to contactwith the valve stem 14 at the proper position of the fire door tooperate said valve. The valve 13 is of the ordinary self-closing typeshown in my application hereinhefore referred to, and said valve isarranged to be opened by the fire door arm when the fire door is closed,said valve automatically closing when the fire door is open. As shown inFig. 1 the steam reservoir 6 is arranged within the furnace fine andreceives heat from the furnace so that it will serve as a steamsuperhcater.

In operation the opening of the fire door to charge the furnace withfuel will open the valve 10 and permit steam to pass into the reservoir6 at boiler pressure, the valve 13 being closed. Upon the closing of thefire door, valve 10 will be closed shutting off communication betweenthe reservoir 6 and the pipe 2 and the valve 13 will he opened throughthe arm 15, thereby permitting the steam confined in the reservoir 6 toescape by way of the nozzle 9 into the blower 5, and from said bloweritmay pass into the fire box as described in my said application. It\vill,'- of course, be understood that the nozzle 9 may be placed at anysuitable point and the air thus supplied wherever it may be desired.

It is obvious that the pipe 8 may 7 It is obvious that when the firedoor is first closed steam will rush from the nozzle 9 under a greatpressure and a large amount of air will be thus supplied to the fire,and this amount will graduali decrease as the pressure in the reservoir6 decreases until finally the jet ceases operating.

It will be seen that the supply of air as controlled by my a paratus islarge at first when the hydrocar arts are being given oil in thegreatest quantity immediately after charging fresh coal; and that thesupply of air diminishes as the quantity of hydrocarbons decreases,until the only supplv of air is that which is drawn through the firedoor blower by the natural or chimney draft.

in some cases, such. as where the furnaces are operated with sl ghtpressure in the furnace-chamber it is evident that the jet of steam fromthe nozzle 9 must never be entirely interrupted while the fire door isclosed, or rather, wlfile the main blast is on. (in cases where pre&ureis maintained in the furnace-chamber it is necessary to interrupt themain air supply before opening the fire door, thus allowing some vacuumin the furnace chamber.) In such cases I provide either an adjustableay-pass 17 around the valve 10, or arrange that the valve 10 isprevented from completely closing by an adjustable stop. This insuresthat the pressure in the reservoir 6 will never quite fall to zero.

A somewhat similar result may be attained by disconnecting the chain 12from the fire door so that the valve 10 will remain permanently open,and then setting the valve 18 slightly open or sufficient to give thenecessary minimum pressure at the nozzle 9. When the fire door is open,permitting the valve 13 to close, pressure accumulates in the reservoirso that when the fire door is closed and the valve 13 opened theaccumulated pressure in the reservoir 6 will be delivered through thenozzle 9 into the blower 5, thereby delivering a greater amount of airover the fire for a time, as in the other cases described, the suppiy ofair gradually diminishing until the normal minimum pressure is reached.

The size of the reservoir 6 is proportioned according to the quality andconsumption of coal. Adjustments of the capacity of an existingreservoir may be made by introducing or removing articles such as glazedbricks or hollow steam-tight globes or cylinders through the door 19which is adapted to be closed steam-tightly- The size of the nozzle 9may be varied, or the rate of flow of steam to it varied by a valve 20,in pipe 8 to suit cireumst ances.

The steam pipe 7 is described as being eonneeted to the steam pipesupplying the main blower. In some cases, such as where there is noforced-draft, this pipe is carried either directly from the boiler, orfrom some point where full or sufficient pressure may be obtained. Thereservoir 6 may be placed in any convenient position, but should be soplaced that any water of condensation will naturally drain away throughthe pipe 8.

The apparatus is described as cont-rolling' the supply of air admittedthrough a the door, but it may be used to control the supply of airadmitted in any other manner instead-of, or in addition to, the liredoor supply. 'It may be applied to control the air supply to any type offurnace whether for steam-generation or otherwise; and if steam is notavailable it may be operated by compressed air.

A valve 18 is shown in pipe 7 between valve 10 and the pi e 2. Thisvalve may be used to interrupt t e operation of the apparatus forrepairs or any other reason. It may also be used for adjustment of thesu ply of air as follows. If it is only slightly open, it is obviousthat the pressure in the reservoir 6 will not reach that of the boilerduring the usual time the fire door and consequently the valve 10 isopen. If the fire door is kept open for a longer period due to chargingan unusually large amount of coal, the pressure in the reservoir 6 willrise higherperhaps as high as boiler pressure and a greater quantity ofair will be delivered in unit time in accordance with the extra supplyof coal, and the supply of air will be longer continuedagain inaccordance with the longer time required to distil oil the hydrocarbonsfrom the extra coal.

It is manifestthat valve 13 may be dispensed with and the normal dscharge of steam through the nozzle 9 controlled by valve 20. ln'thisarrangement, upon opening the fire door and consequently opening thevalve 10, steam is admitted to the reservoir faster than it can escapefrom the nozzle and the ressure on the reservoir rises. On closingt 1efire door and consequently closing the valve 10, the pressure in thereservoir gradually falls, thereby diminishing the supply of air. Itwill, therefore, be seen that I desire to accumulate in the reservoir 6a surplus iluid pressure which may be discharged into the furnace whenthe the door is closed, said supply gradually diminishing to zero or toa minimum normal supply.

As shown in Fig. 3 the steam reservoir 6 is located in the furnace wallor in any desired position to receive heat from the furnace so as toserve as a superheater. The reservoir is connected to the boiler by pipe22 controlled by valve 23. From the reservoir 6 a pipe '24 leads to ablower 25. In this pipe 24 is a valve 26 by means of which the supply ofsteam to the blower may be entirely stop -d. A valve 27 similar to valve13 is all?) provided in this pipe, said the reservoir 6 when the firedoor is open 7 and when the said door is closed the accuundated steamwill be discharged into the blower 25. The valve 23 controls the normaldischarge of steam through the blower'ZZS, and it is manifest that whenthe valve 37 is closed steam will be accumulated in the reservoir 6 andthat the accumulated steam will be rapidly discharged into the blowerupon the closing of the fire door until the flow of steam through pipe24 has been reduced to normal.

As shown in Fig. 4 the charging of the reservoir (3" with steam iscontrolled by the opening of the fire door. In this arrangement valve 10is connected by a weighted lever 11" and chain 12 to the fire door sothat when the said door is opened valve 10 is opened and reservoir 6charged with steam. In this arrangement the steam reservoir is connectedby a pipe 8* to a pair of blowers 2S and a valve 29, the pi )e 8controls the supply of steam to sai blowers. The operation of thisarrangement of my invention is quite obvious. The valve 29 controls thenormal supply of steam to the blowers 28. When the fire door is openvaivc 10 is open and steam from the boiler flows into the reservoir 6*and to the blowers. The valve 29 is set so that it has a smaller outletthan the valve 10*. The result of this is that steam will flow into theblowers when the fire door is open and will also accumulate in thereservoir 6*, this surplus arcumulation flowing into the furnace throughthe blowers after the fire door and valve 10" are closed. In thisarrangement of the apparatus there is a discharge of steam into thefurnace when the fire door is opened, the discharge valve operated bythe fire. door, shown in Figs. 1 and 3, being dispensed with.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An air regulator for a furnace comprising a reservoir, means forsupplying steam to said reservoir, a pipe leading the steam from saidreservoir to the fire in the furnace, in combination with a fire doorand means operated by said door in opening and closing to permit steamto flow to said reservoir when the fire door is open, and to stop theflow of steam to said reservoir when the fire door is closed.

, 2. An air regulator for a furnace comprising a reservoir, a pipeconnecting said reservoir to a steanrsupply, a pipe leading steam fromsaid reservoir to the fire in the furnace, in combination with a firedoor and means opera-ted thereby in opening and closing to permit steamto flow fronn said reservoir to the fire when the door isre'losed and toprevent steam flowing from said reservoir when the door is open.

3. An air regulator for: an furnace comprising a reservoir, means forsupplying fluid under pressure to said Reservoir, means for permittingthe fiuid to tlonv from said reservoir to the fire in the furnzace incombination .with a fire door. and merans controlled by the movement ofthe fireadoor to charge the reservoir when the door is open and topermit the escape of finial liirom said reservoir when the door isclosed- 4. An air regulator fOt::1 furnace compris 30 ing a reservoir,means [for supplying fiuld under pressure to sai-i IQSGEI'VOXY, a valvecontrolling said supply. pipee connected to S8ld' reservoir and arranged[(1): deliver 'fluid therefrom to the fire in the unit-ace, a valve insaid 5 pipe controlling the nioveament of fiuid from said reservoir ineonibnnat-ion with a fire :loor, and means wherein the opening andclosing of said door will. operate said valves to first charge thereserwoir when the door is 99 open and to permit the lfiuid from saidreservoir to flow to the the iin the furnace when the fire door isclosed.

5. An air regulator forr a furnace comprising a reservoir, a pipe 'L'iorsupplying fluid under pressure to Said rreservoir, a pipe to permit theescape of fhuid from san reservoir and arranged to deliiver said fluidto the fire in the furnace. an inliet valve in the supply pipe, anoutlet valveiin the escape pipeun 10o combination \\ith a fire dloor andmeans connected thereto and ada pted to alternately operate the inletvalve amd the outlet valve, whereby the reservoir veiill be charged whenthe fire door is open andirthe fluid will be per-- mitted to escapetherefinmm and be delivered to the fire when the fire-dloor is closed.

6. An air regulator foir a furnace comprising a reservoir, a pipe- :iorsupplying fluid under pressure to Send. n-eservoir, a pipe to 11 permitthe escape of Hand from san reservoir and arranged to deliiver saidfluid to the fire in the furnace. an inilet valve in thesuppiy pipe, anoutlet valwr in the escape pipe in combination with a. thre door andmeans o ierated thereby to open) the. inlet valve and close the escapevalve \when the fire door is open and to close the iinlet valve and openthe escape when the fire-rdoor is closed.

7. An air regulator forr a furnace com r1 sing a reservoir, means forsupplying 1nd under pressure to said. ireservoir, means for permittingthe fluid to liiow from saidreservoir to the furnace fire,.uneans torestrict the flow of fluid to said reseirvoirin combination with a firedoor. and means controlled by the movement thereof to poermit the escapeof fluid from said reservrnir when the door is closed. I

8. An air regulator Eur a furnace comprisi from said reservoir to thefire in the furnace, a fire door and means controlled by the movement ofthe fire door to charge the reservoir when the door is open and topermit the escape of steam from said reservoir when the door is closed.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ing a reservoir arranged to be heated inthe furnace and serving as a superheater, means for supplying steam tosaid reservoir, a blower arranged to deliver air and steam to the fire,means connecting said reservoir to the blower in combination with a firedoor and means operated by the fire door to permit I steam to bedischarged from the reservoir; into the fire l\lvheln tlllie the (flooris closed and i this 31st day of October 1907. to revent t e isc arge osteam w .en the firePdoor is 0pm ALFRED COTTON. 9. The combination of afurnace, a reser- I voir, means for supplying steam to said reservoir,means for permitting the steam to flow l Witnesses:

WM. R. DAVIS, EMMA H. H. KAUFMANN.

signature in the presence of two witnesses,

